Sorry I took so long to update and that this chapter isn't very long. Hope you still like it. :)

Disclaimer: Did you see my name on the show credits? No, I didn't think so.

Chapter Twenty-Two

I offered to do dinner on the Sunday, as I felt guilty insisting that we leave at no later than five p.m that day so I could get all the sleep I needed for Monday's classes. In the end it worked out well, as while things were cooking away I could do some work without worrying about appearing anti-social. At this rate I'd remain on schedule with all my assignments despite the impromptu home visit.

Thus it was with high spirits and a self-satisfied smile that refused to be mocked that I sat down to dinner with my family.

"So, Casey, how is Cher?" Mom asked only a few moments after we had all taken our seats. She heard me talk about my friends enough to know that I was a little invested in Cher's happiness and that she was quickly becoming as close to me as Emily ever was.

I smiled. "She's doing great. She's finding putting up with Josh's mom a little wearying, but she goes home soon and Cher's dad will be coming up to see them. She's really looking forward to showing him the apartment."

"Doubt Josh is quite so excited about good old Dad coming down to inspect them." Derek commented.

"Der-ek, it's not an inspection! He just wants to make sure his daughter is happy, which she is, and spend some time with family." I chatsized.

"I know how I'd feel in his position, and it wouldn't be overly happy. The guy's been shoving him towards corporate law since he was a kid, and now he not only has to tell him he's thinking of joining a firm like Brisnuskavich and Simmons-"

"Hey!" George butted in, in a hurt tone.

"But he also won't be gettin' any for over a week unless he wants to be dismembered by the guy in the spare room." Derek continued as if his father hadn't spoken.

"So Josh and Cher have known each other since they were kids then?" Mom asked interestedly.

I blushed at the thought of telling her their relation, given my recent revelations regarding my own step-brother.

"Yeah, apparently when their parents divorced Josh decided to stick with Mel as a step-dad instead of tagging along in all his mom's relationships." Derek said through a mouthful of food.

If Mom was surprised she didn't show it. Maybe she didn't get it yet.

"Cher and Josh are step-siblings?" Edwin blurted. "Wish I'd known that was allowed before I developed family bonds with mine!"

Lizzie shoved him with an elbow and for a second I wondered... But I was brought back before the thought had a chance to form, by Derek.

"'Course it's allowed! Don't you remember Cruel Intentions?" He said like he was talking to an idiot.

"Cruel Intentions was kinda warped, I don't think their relationship was meant to be healthy." I pointed out, cursing myself as I did so. Saying that about it was counter-productive at best given my own situation. "And since when do you watch chick flicks?"

"Hello? Sarah Michelle Gellar playing a bad girl? Who wouldn't watch that?" He replied as if it was obvious, saying nothing about the first part of what I'd said.

"So Derek and Casey could get married?" Marti asked her Dad, who spluttered into his food, and suddenly the whole table was laughing.

Except me.

"I don't think so Marti." Mom tried to say calmly.

"Why not?" Marti asked. "Then Casey would be my step-sister and my sister-in-law!"

"Because Smarti, getting married means getting as far as the altar." Derek told her. "If by some twist of fate I asked Spacey to marry me,"

And my chest tightened just at him uttering those two words. I silently rolled my eyes at myself. I thought I'd grown out of the teenage scrawlings of 'Mrs Casey fill-in-crushes-last-name' on my binder.

"And if she somehow said yes without criticising my proposal so much I took it back, she'd take so long planning it that we'd die of old age by the time she'd finished." He continued. "And that's not including the Casey freaks out in between, or the ridiculous amount of time I'd have to spend taking dancing lessons before she thought I was good enough to lead her out for the first dance."

"Or the amount of time it'd take them to agree on a wedding song." Lizzie added.

"Or the amount of time it'd take for her to find the perfect dress." Derek again.

"Or how long it'd take Derek to find a best man who's never had a thing for Casey." Edwin supplied.

"Nah, it'd still be Sam." Derek told him.

"Getting a date fixed when both Abby and my Dad were available..." Lizzie again.

"Mom would be so over the moon I was getting married in the first place that she'd blow off whatever she had going on." Derek shrugged.

"Finding bridesmaids that haven't gone out with Derek..." Edwin again.

"She has sisters! And I haven't dated all of her friends!" Derek defended himself.

My head was swimming. Were they really talking about this?

"And we'd have to hope he managed to stop throwing up long enough for her not to cancel to avoid kissing him." Edwin raised his fork to make the point and Lizzie laughed as a piece of broccoli fell off and landed in his lap.

"Hey! When did this turn into an attack Derek session?!" Derek attempted to stem the tide.

"And nevermind Casey's freakouts, what about Derek's fear of commitment or emotions of any kind?" Lizzie took up the attack Derek challenge.

"If I asked her I'd mean it!" Derek's voice went unheaded by the others as the discussion gained momentum, but it reached my ears loud and clear.

"Oh, come on Derek, you'd have to stand up in front of a church full of people and tell them you loved me." I said, with just a touch of bitterness.

He just looked puzzled, "I'd have thought they would already know anyway seeing as we were in the church in the first place!"

"Okay, okay! I get it!" Marti broke in. "I just thought they'd make a cute couple!"

Lizzie and Edwin grinned at her little girl cuteness, before starting a new onslaught. "Not cute, terrifying!"

Edwin followed Lizzie's lead. "Horrifying!"

"Imagine the freakouts!"

"The arguments!"

"The screaming matches!"

"The loud make-up sex!" Edwin, as usual, pushed it too far. "We'd hear it all the way from Kingston!"

"Ewww!" Marti shouted. "There's a kid here ya know!"

My eyes were glued firmly to my plate and my face felt like it was going to be red forever, until Mom rescued us from our siblings by telling them to knock it off.

After that things went more or less back to normal, though I couldn't bring myself to meet Derek's eyes for hours.